Region residents fleeing for shelter cover from Florence

Bill Kirby Jr. Staff writer @wbkirbyjr

Friday

Sep 14, 2018 at 1:51 AMSep 14, 2018 at 7:49 PM

Seven emergency shelters are open in the county, and 587 residents were taking cover from Florence, the hurricane, that arrived early Friday morning, according to the Cumberland County and City of Fayetteville Joint Information Center.

There may be more heading for shelter.

“We are seeing increasing numbers of residents seeking assistance with transportation to the shelters,” said Sally Shutt, an assistant county manager, “and are working to coordinate with the Fayetteville Area System of Transit.”

There were, as of 5 p.m. Friday, 171 people being housed at South View High School in Hope Mills; 99 at Mack Williams Middle School near the Cape Fear River; 91 at Pine Forest High School in north Fayetteville; 84 at Seventy-First High School in west Fayetteville; 65 at Smith Recreation Center near Murchison Road; 57 at the Kiwanis Recreation Center on Fort Bragg Road; and 20 at W.T. Brown Elementary School in Spring Lake.

“We are opening shelters,” said Phil Harris, executive director of the Highlands Chapter of the American Red Cross that serves Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland Counties.. “Getting folks out of the rain. Giving them a warm, dry spot to stay.”

Bladen County

Of five shelters open in the county, there are 962 evacuees, said Bradley Kinlaw, emergency services director.

“No plans to open any more,” he said.

The shelters are at East Bladen High School and Bladen Lakes Elementary School in Elizabethtown, Elizabethown Middle School, West Bladen High School in Bladenboro and East Arcadia Elementary School in Riegelwood.

Columbus County

There was no word from the county, but its website, said shelters were located at Edgewood Elementary School, 317 East Calhoun St., in Whiteville; Guideway Elementary School, 11570 Swamp Fox Hwy. East, in Tabor City; East Columbus High School, 32 Gator Lane, in Lake Waccamaw; South Columbus High School, 40 Stallion Drive, in Tabor City; and West Columbus High School, 7294 Andrew Jackson Hwy. Southwest, in Cerro Gordo. Edgewood Elementary School is the county’s designated pet-friendly shelter.

Harnett County

The rain from Florence created issues for evacuees at Triton High School.

“Due to a leak in the roof, Harnett County’s emergency shelter is being moved to Coats-Erwin Middle School,” said Brian Haney, assistant county manager. “Everyone currently at Triton is being moved to Coats-Erwin Middle.”

It is a pet-friendly shelter.

There also is an emergency shelter at Overhills High School, located at 2495 Ray Road, in Spring Lake, where Haney said there are 74 residents there.

Hoke County

Four shelters are open.according to its website.They are West Hoke Middle School, 200 Aberdeen Road, in Raeford, but no special needs or pets available; Sandy Grove Middle School, 300 Chason Road, in Lumber Bridge, but no special needs or pets available; Don Steed Elementary School, 800 Phillippi Church Road, in Raeford, with a pet shelter available; and Hoke County High School, 505 S. Bethel Ave, in Raeford.

Lee County

Heavy storm rains were moving into the county around 3:30 p.m. Friday, according to Jamie Brown, community and government relations manager, and where she said SanLee Middle School is housing evacuees.

“We currently have 237 people and 8 animals in our shelter,” Brown said. “The North Carolina Department of Public Safety is also operating a Coastal Region Evacuation & Shelter Plan Shelter in Lee County that was designated for Craven County evacuees. At last report they had 150 people in the shelter.”

Moore County

Florence is all over the Sandhills.

“It is raining, winds speeds approximately 15 mph and we have around 10,000 power outages,” said Bryan Phillips, director of the Moore County Department of Public Safety.

Of two shelters, one is full.

The shelter at the Moore County Ag Center is at full capacity,” Phillips said about the Carthage location. “The Ag Center has a maximum of 80, however it was being used as pet friendly and medically fragile.”

The other shelter is at North Moore High School at 1504 N. Moore Road, in Robbins.

“We have about 30 in this location,” Phillips said of the shelter than can accommodate 200.

Both shelters, Phillips said, have back-up generator power sources.

Robeson County

The Lumber River is on the rise, said Emily Jones, the county spokeswoman, and is anticipated to rise to 24 feet by Sunday.

She said 943 residents were in shelters – 470 at Lumberton High School, and it is at capacity; 188 at Purnell Swett High School in Pembroke; 174 at St. Pauls High School; 102 at Fairmont High School; and 9 at South Robeson High School in Rowland, who were being moved to another shelter because of electrical issues. That shelter, Jones said, now is temporarily closed.

Sampson County

Ten shelters are open, and there were 2,982 filling them as of 2:30 p.m., Friday, according to Ronald Bass, emergency medical director.

“This should highlight the impact here,” Bass said. “This storm will continue to impact us as we anticipate major flooding, not unlike Hurricane Matthew, given the anticipated rainfall of 18-24 inches over several more days.”

Trees and power lines are down on numerous roads and highways, according to Susan Holder, assistant county manager, and as of 1 p.m. Friday 23,669 power outages.

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